


Claimed

by theroguesgambit



Series: Drabbletastic [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Mates, Mentions of Stalia, anti Stalia, but not particularly anti Malia, post 117, pre-Sterek - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-04
Updated: 2014-07-04
Packaged: 2018-02-07 09:31:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1894023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theroguesgambit/pseuds/theroguesgambit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“What… she’s been marking me as hers?” His tone is sharp and indignant, eyes widening at Derek like he’s at a complete loss. Derek doesn’t know whether that makes him feel better or worse.</p><p>“What did you think she was doing?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Claimed

He stands in front of Stiles, but Stiles has changed.

He belongs to someone else now. And he doesn’t even seem to realize it.

“What… she’s been  _marking_  me as hers?” His tone is sharp and indignant, eyes widening at Derek like he’s at a complete loss. Derek doesn’t know whether that makes him feel better or worse.

“What did you think she was doing?”

“I don’t know… weird were-coyote kink thing?”

Derek wants to hit something. He wants to pull away. He wants to get the  _scent_  of it out of his nose and he wants to get it off Stiles… but that’s not his place. That’s never been his place.

“She’s claimed you.  _Multiple_  times, Stiles. She claimed you as her mate and you didn’t…”

Stiles stalks forward but Derek flinches visibly back, pained.

“Derek…”

His hand lifts, and Derek steps back like it’s some sort of threat.

“I can’t touch a were’s mate this early in the claiming. It would be disrespectful; would be seen as a challenge.”

Stiles’ mouth opens, clicks shut. His head shakes.

“Well, isn’t it disrespectful to go marking someone with a permanent supernatural engagement bite without asking permission first?”

Derek scowls.

“It’s  _obvious_. She probably didn’t even think about it. She was probably thrilled when you accepted her affections.”

“Well… affections, yeah. I mean, she’s… nice. Well, not  _nice_ but, you know, nice to me generally and she’s…” He trails off. “And I’m so down for the occasional making out, but I’m not ready to be  _claimed_  by anybody.”

Derek lets out a huff of air – that exasperated sigh he’s so damn fond of, that makes it clear that everyone else in the conversation is being dismissed as a complete idiot.

“Then you should probably talk to her about that, huh?”

“Yeah, I probably should.”

Stiles has turned around and gotten halfway to the door when a stray thought hits him.

“Wait, no…” Turning back, catching Derek’s look of relief bleeding slowly back into exasperation: “Scott’s been touching me all month. Shoulder claps, elbowing, hell,  _hugs._  Malia never had a problem. And I touched you too, when you were younger.”

He’s prepared to waggle his brows, call foul on Derek’s whole claiming theory, but a weary seeming something flicking through the wolf’s eyes stops him.

“It has to do with scenting, Stiles. It’s... complicated.”

Stiles sighs, hand lifting to flit in a quick circle through the air.

“Uncomplicate. I’m apparently dealing with this crap whether I want to or not. It would help if  _someone_  thought to explain it to me.”

At first it feels like Derek will just straight-up refuse to answer. Then, his eyes locking on Stiles' almost defiantly:

“A person’s scent changes with their emotions. Scott has something going on with Kira. When I was younger I was completely gone on—” His voice catches, just barely. “Kate.”

“So what, a touch isn’t seen as a challenge if the wolf’s into someone else? You just smell single now or something?”

Derek wishes it were that simple. He could tell Stiles, tell him how Derek’s own desire coloring his scent is what would strike Malia as a threat. Or he could forget talking, close in now and lay his own claim the same way she had, drown the interloper’s scent in his own and challenge the girl for the right to mark Stiles’ flesh. His wolf howls for it… but Derek’s eyes slide away.

That’s never been his place.

“If you’re not looking to become her mate, Stiles, you should tell her now.” He says it evenly, just stating facts. That’s all he has a right to offer.

“Yeah…” Stiles voice has gone quiet, and Derek drags his gaze back to find the younger man observing him thoughtfully. The mating issue has become a puzzle to Stiles now, and one thing Stiles can never resist is a puzzle. Whatever hope Derek had for keeping his interest secret has just fallen away; it’s only a matter of time until Stiles pieces it together.

“Yeah,” Stiles says again, swallowing thickly, and Derek wonders if that time has come already. But Stiles just turns back to the door after a heavy moment, pausing to rest a hand against the frame. “I… at least for now, I need to keep my options open you know? Never know when a new one might open up.”

His heartbeat flutters a little, but before Derek can react to it he’s gone, leaving Derek staring after.

**Author's Note:**

> [Come find me on Tumblr](http://halekingsourwolf.tumblr.com)


End file.
